Communication systems and methods for switching between contention based and contention free modes

Abstract

Systems and methods presented herein provide for improving communications when encountering aggressive communication systems. In one embodiment, a communication system comprises a wireless access point operable to link a first user equipment (UE) to a WiFi network via a contention based mode that directs the WAP to share radio frequency spectrum with other WAPs. The communication system also comprises a communication processor operable to query at least the first UE to determine aggressive radio frequency (RF) band activity by another communication system in range of the WAP, to determine that the aggressive RF band activity by the other communication system is pushing communication with the first UE via the WAP below a threshold level, and based on the determination, direct the WAP to switch to a contention free mode to communicate with the first UE in contention free mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method operable within a communication system for improving communications, the method comprising:
 establishing a link between a first user equipment (UE) and a wireless access point (WAP) in a WiFi network via a contention based mode; 
 altering an unused bit in a 802.11 MAC header to direct the first UE to operate in a contention free mode; 
 querying at least the first UE to determine aggressive radio frequency (RF) band activity by another communication system in range of the WAP; 
 determining that the aggressive RF band activity by the other communication system is pushing communication with the first UE via the WAP below a threshold level; 
 wherein the communication protocol of the WiFi network is a WiFi protocol and the communication protocol of the other communication system is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol; and 
 directing the first UE to report back the number of other UEs in vicinity of the WAP and the other communication system. 
 
     
     
       2. A communication system operable to improve communications, the system comprising:
 a wireless access point (WAP) operable to link a first user equipment (UE) to a WiFi network via a contention based mode; 
 wherein the WAP is operable to alter an unused but in a 802.11 MAC header to direct the first UE to operate in a contention free mode; 
 a communication processor operable to query at least the first UE to determine aggressive radio frequency (RF) band activity by another communication system in range of the WAP, to determine that the aggressive RF band activity by the other communication system is pushing communication with the first UE via the WAP below a threshold level, and based on the determination, to direct the WAP to switch to a contention free mode to communicate with the first UE in the contention free mode; and 
 wherein the WAP is operable to direct the first UE to report back a number of other UEs in vicinity of the WAP and the other communication system. 
 
     
     
       3. The communication system of  claim 2 , wherein the communication processor is further operable to determine a number of other UEs in vicinity of the WAP and the other communication system based on connection attempts by the other UEs. 
     
     
       4. The communication system of  claim 2 , wherein the WAP is further operable to detect a 3GPP protocol related capability of the first UE when the first UE attempts to connect to the WAP. 
     
     
       5. A non-transitory computer readable medium, further comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a communication processor operable within a communication system, directs the communication processor to:
 Establish a link between a first user equipment (UE) and a wireless access point (WAP) in a WiFi network via a contention based mode; 
 alter an unused bit in a 802.11 MAC header to direct the first UE to operate in a contention free mode; 
 instructions that direct the communication processor to: 
 query at least the first UE to determine aggressive radio frequency (RF) band activity by another communication system in range of the WAP; 
 determine that the aggressive RF band activity by the other communication system is pushing communication with the first UE via the WAP below a threshold level; and 
 based on the determination, direct the WAP to switch to a contention free mode to communicate with the first UE in contention free mode. 
 
     
     
       6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 5 , further comprising instructions that direct the communication processor to:
 direct the first UE to report back the number of other UEs in vicinity of the WAP and the other communication system.